NEW YORK & SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new study shows that business leaders are taking steps to ensure
responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) within their
organizations. Most AI adopters – which now account for 72 percent of
organizations globally – conduct ethics training for their technologists
(70 percent) and have ethics committees in place to review the use of AI
(63 percent).

AI leaders – organizations rating their deployment of AI “successful” or
“highly successful” – also take the lead on responsible AI efforts:
Almost all (92 percent) train their technologists in ethics compared to
48 percent of other AI adopters.

AI now has a real impact on peoples’ lives which highlights the
importance of having a strong ethical framework surrounding its use,
according to the report.

“Organizations have begun addressing concerns and aberrations that AI
has been known to cause, such as biased and unfair treatment of people,”
said Rumman Chowdhury, Responsible AI Lead at Accenture Applied
Intelligence. “These are positive steps; however, organizations need to
move beyond directional AI ethics codes that are in the spirit of the
Hippocratic Oath to ‘do no harm’. They need to provide prescriptive,
specific and technical guidelines to develop AI systems that are secure,
transparent, explainable, and accountable – to avoid unintended
consequences and compliance challenges that can be harmful to
individuals, businesses, and society. Data scientists are hungry for
these guidelines.”

AI leaders also recognize the strong connection between analytics and
their AI success. Of those, 79 percent report that analytics plays a
major or central role in their organization’s AI efforts compared to
only 14 percent of those who have not yet benefited from their use of AI.

“Those who have deployed AI recognize that success in AI is success in
analytics,” said Oliver Schabenberger, Chief Operating Officer and Chief
Technology Officer at SAS. “For them, analytics has achieved a central
role in AI.”

Still, the report states that oversight processes have a long way to go
before they catch up with advances in AI technology.

“The ability to understand how AI makes decisions builds trust and
enables effective human oversight," said Yinyin Liu, head of data
science for Intel AI Products Group. "For developers and customers
deploying AI, algorithm transparency and accountability, as well as
having AI systems signal that they are not human, will go a long way
toward developing the trust needed for widespread adoption.”

It stands to reason that companies are taking steps toward ethical AI
and ensuring AI oversight because they know that faulty AI output can
cause repercussions. Of the organizations that have either already
deployed AI or are planning to do so, 60 percent stated that they are
concerned about the impact of AI-driven decisions on customer engagement
– for example, that their actions will not show enough empathy or
customers will trust them less.

Other key findings from the survey include:

Overall, 72 percent of organizations globally are now using AI in one
or more business areas.

More than half (51 percent) of AI adopters indicated their deployment
of AI has been a real success – citing more accurate forecasting and
decision-making, higher success at acquiring customers, and increased
organizational productivity as the primary benefits.

Nearly half (46 percent) of AI adopters overall said their
organization has fully deployed AI, either in one or multiple use
cases.

Respondents outside of the C-suite were more likely to see the impact
of AI positively: More than half (55 percent) of non-C-level
executives say their AI efforts have been “successful” or “very
successful.” Only 38 percent of the C-suite reported the same.

Many organizations see an advantage for their workforce by way of
elevated roles. Sixty-four percent strongly or completely agree they
are already seeing the effects, as employees focus on more strategic
tasks rather than operative ones, thanks to AI.

However, nearly 20 percent identify “resistance from employees due to
concerns about job security” as a challenge to their AI efforts. Plus,
57 percent agree or strongly agree with the statement, “We are
concerned about the impact of AI on employee relations (e.g.,
employees might feel threatened or overstrained.)”

“As with any new technology that’s quickly gaining traction, there will
be challenges to overcome,” says Ross Gagnon, research director at
Forbes Insights. “But the opportunities AI presents are seemingly
endless, from operational efficiencies to increased productivity and
revenue. The question executives should be asking themselves is not
whether to deploy AI, but how quickly?”

About this research

The survey includes responses from 305 global business leaders in the
Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. It was conducted in July
2018 by Forbes Insights, the strategic research and thought leadership
practice of Forbes Media. Download
the full study for more details.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a
broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital,
technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and
specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business
functions – underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network –
Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help
clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their
stakeholders. With more than 449,000 people serving clients in more than
120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world
works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Accenture Applied Intelligence, part of Accenture
Digital, applies artificial intelligence and human ingenuity at the
core of business to help clients solve their most complex business
problems. By deploying AI responsibly and combining it with our deep
industry and analytics expertise, we enable the digital transformation
of organizations, extend human capabilities, and make intelligent
products and services a reality. Follow @AccentureAI
and visit accenture.com/appliedintelligence.

This document is produced by consultants at Accenture as general
guidance. It is not intended to provide specific advice on your
circumstances. If you require advice or further details on any matters
referred to, please contact your Accenture representative.

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About Forbes Insights

Forbes
Insights is the strategic research and thought leadership practice
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combined platforms reach nearly 94 million business decision makers
worldwide on a monthly basis. By leveraging proprietary databases of
senior-level executives in the Forbes community, Forbes Insights
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